CSOs, MOSOP demand probe of HYPREP over Ogoni cleanup

Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) have called on the Federal Government and its anti-graft agencies to carry out a forensic investigation into the $366 million allegedly released to the Hydrocarbon Remediation Programme (HYPREP) for Ogoniland cleanup.

The coalition made the demand in a communiqué issued at the end of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) engagement, yesterday, in Abuja.

Leaders of the CSOs who signed the communiqué are Dr. Fabeke Douglas, President and CEO, Ogoni Liberation Initiative; Victor Itsede, Coordinator, Restore Nigeria Integrity Initiative and Splendour Agbonkpolor, Executive Director, Initiative for Leadership and Economic Watch, among others

The coalition asked the Federal Government to carry out a field assessment of the projects of HYPREP in Ogoni land to ascertain its adherence to UNEP recommendations.

The communiqué reads: “The UNEP report of 2011 made recommendations for the setting up of the Hydrocarbon Remediation Programme with the mandate to clean up Ogoni land after years of pollution and environment degradation still observable in Ogoni land till date.

“It is regrettable that despite millions of dollars released to HYPREP by UNEP, there is no significant development undertaken by the body. The situation where rivers, claimed to have been cleaned, are still poisonous to drink is the scam of the century.
MOSOP accused HYPREP of looting funds meant for the cleanup and called on the Presidency to probe the use of funds released to the agency.

Its President, Fegalo Nsuke, alleged that the project was marred by internal corruption and called on the people not to remain silent over the looting, adding that the fund must be accounted for.

“We insist that a probe be instituted now so that Nigerians will be shocked at the revelation of huge fraud of the cleanup funds and what people who call themselves managers of the project have done to public funds entrusted to their care,” Nsuke declared.

“MOSOP has lost confidence in the cleanup exercise and wants to state that there can be no credit for the government as far as we are concerned. We do not think it is necessary to further fund the cleanup programme because it all ends up in private pockets,” he added.